article: "Apple tunes in to world domination"

The key is the device ? the beautiful iPod ? and the simplicity of buying stuff through iTunes, which is why Apple is becoming such a powerful retailer.

That is, until Microsoft and/or Google come along, which will be soon. The shock troops for Microsoft's victory over Apple in personal computers in the 1980s were Intel, Compaq, IBM, Dell, Toshiba and so on ? that is the chip manufacturer and the cheap PC makers that licensed the Windows operating system.

With digital music and video it will be Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson ? the mobile phone manufacturers.

This year they will start releasing phones with the same storage as iPods ? up to 30 gigabytes. iPods themselves will have to become phones.

Microsoft's software will power the new generation of phone/music players, and the business of selling digital songs and TV shows will open up. Google will probably run the most popular online store, but there will be thousands.

In fact there is a good chance the whole thing will end up like the Macintosh computer: early dominance through its beautifully designed integrated package of hardware and operating system, but later obliterated by Microsoft Windows, which was licensed to any manufacturer.

The iPod/iTunes system will move into a niche with Macintosh computers because Steve Jobs has again stuck with closed architecture and total control. This will happen quickly because mobile phones are being turned over about every year.

... We will witness the creation and destruction of a market dominance in the time it used to take to work up a business plan.

is apple DOOMED??!!

comments?

people talk about this "closed system", but you can still buy cds, dvds for content, even create you own content. if you don't want apple DRM, don't buy from iTMS, or buy a different (non-apple) player!

and it seems to me that the iPod is alot more ubiquitous than the early apple and mac computers, i don't think you can apply the same judgement...